Sweet Child O' Mine
by Preussenlied
Summary: Modern AU. When Gray meets Juvia, he's babysitting for his friends' daughter and she's babysitting for her friends' twins. However, they fail to mention that they are merely babysitting. Gruvia. More detail inside.


**The other day, I woke up with two things: a hangover, and this random ass fic idea. I decided I'd write a little for it and see how it goes. It's quick and the detail isn't the best, but again, I was hungover.**

 **To elaborate on the summary a little: Gray is watching NaLu's daughter. Juvia is watching Gajevy's twins. They meet at the park, and mindlessly fail to mention that they are merely babysitting, and the children aren't biologically theirs. And they keep forgetting. Basically just a silly misunderstanding fic.**

 **Enjoy! It's not long, but I just wanted to write this and see if I should continue it or not. Let me know what you think!**

* * *

When he first sees her, his eyes are immediately drawn to her blue hair. Such an odd color, but it was nothing too shocking - one of his closest friends had a head of spiky pink. And that trait seemed to pass onto his daughter as well.

 _Daughter..._

Gray jumped, realizing he had been staring at the woman for too long and had lost track of Nashi and frantically looked around.

 _If Lucy finds out I lost track of her, she's gonna skin me alive_ , he thought. Finally, that pink head appeared in his vision and he saw her playing with two other children about her age. Twins, it seemed - a boy and a girl, both with blue hair. The woman from earlier knelt down next to the three kids, smiling warmly as they played in the sandbox.

"Um… Hello. Can I help you?" Gray realized with a start that the woman was speaking to him, and that he had at some point approached the sandbox. And was staring.

 _And now you look like that one creep who hangs around playgrounds_.

"Oh, uh," he points to Nashi, "that's my kid."

Looking back now, he probably should have phrased that differently.

"Oh! Juvia was worried she was unsupervised," the woman said. _Is she speaking in third person?_ "You may want to keep a closer eye on her, though. Something could have happened."

"I could see her from where I was just fine," he said, eyes narrowing slightly. He lost track of Nashi for, what, three seconds? That didn't make him a bad guy. The woman paled, eyes going wide.

"Juvia didn't know that, she's so sorry!" she said quickly, standing from where she was crouched next to the children. "Juvia didn't mean to assume you were being irresponsible - I just know that things happen and it can be a dangerous world out here for children, and -"

She was rambling, and Gray raised an amused brow.

"Hey, calm down. It's okay. Thanks for your concern, though." He looked to the two kids building up a large pile of sand with Nashi. "These your kids?"

Juvia blinked, then looked down to the children, as though she were just coming back to the real world. "Oh! Yes, they are."

Looking back now, she probably could have elaborated on that.

"This is Shutora, and her brother, Yaje," Juvia said, smiling warmly at the twins.

"This is Nashi," Gray said, figuring he should introduce his niece, as well. At the mention of her name, the pinkette looked up and smiled brightly at Juvia, waving her hand, before going back to the pile that was growing larger. She appeared to be carving out a doorway, but Gray couldn't be sure.

"They seem to get along well," Juvia added with a smile. Indeed, they were playing with each other as though they had grown up together - not fighting over the twigs and rocks they found or where those items would be placed on their little creation. Gray looked to the woman again and she smiled at him before blinking, quickly sticking her hand out. "I'm Juvia."

Gray took it in a firm shake. _No ring_ , he noticed. "Gray."

"It's nice to meet you. And Nashi."

"I can say the same to you. You from around Magnolia?" Gray asked, following Juvia to a nearby bench where they could keep an eye on the kids.

"Juvia actually just moved here from Oak Town, but lived in Magnolia when she was younger." She looked as though she were about to elaborate on why, but thought better of it and just smiled.

"Oak Town, eh? Can't say I've ever spent too much time there, mostly just passing through on my way to other places." Juvia laughed softly and shrugged.

"You're not missing much. Juvia likes Magnolia much better. The people are so much nicer here, and it always seems to be raining in Oak Town."

"You don't like the rain?"

"Juvia likes it, just not when it's cold and gloomy - and Oak Town is full of that. Have you always lived in Magnolia?"

"Nah. I grew up in a village up north - Jytor - but it's not around anymore. Then I moved around a bit until finally settling down here," Gray said, smiling as he watched Nashi triumphantly secure a second, smaller pile of sand to the first with the help of her friends. While he'd never willingly admit to having such a friendly and close relationship to Natsu, Nashi was Gray's entire world. He loved that little girl more than anything and had been doting on her since the day she was born.

Gray and Juvia talked for what may have been a few more hours before Juvia caught the time.

"Oh, Shutora, Yaje - your father will be here to pick you up soon," she said as she stood. The three children stopped what they were doing, looking slightly saddened by the fact that they would be leaving, but didn't put up a fight, instead saying goodbye to Nashi with friendly smiles, which were returned by the pinkette.

 _So the father's still in the picture?_ Gray observed. However, with the way Juvia had spoken, it didn't seem as though she were still seeing the man romantically, but that may just be Gray's hopeful wishing.

"It was nice meeting you, Gray," Juvia said with a warm smile. "Perhaps Juvia will see you around again."

"Likewise, Juvia. And you just might - this is one of Nashi's favorite places." Gray watched the woman walk off with the twins, a small smile on his lips.

"You liiiiike her," came a voice at his side. He looked down to see Nashi grinning up at him. Gray crouched down to her level, narrowing his eyes at her, but her smile never faded.

"What did you just say?" Her smile widened.

"I said you liii - aaahhh! Uncle Gray!" Nashi broke into a fit of giggles as Gray began tickling her sides relentlessly and she fought to slap his hands away, but to no avail. Finally he stopped and lift her up, maneuvering her to sit perched on his shoulders. Her hands fist in his hair, but he didn't mind the pain.

"How about some ice cream?" Gray asked, looking up at her

"Yes!"

"Gotta promise not to tell your mom, though." Nashi pinched her thumb and forefinger together, running them along her lips to signal her mouth was shut. She tugged at his hair as though it would prompt him to start walking.

"Now ice cream! I want vanilla with sprinkles! And gummy bears, and chocolate syrup, and -" Gray chuckled to himself as she rambled on.

"Say, Nash, if your parents allow it, wanna come back here again tomorrow?" Gray asked, and it definitely wasn't with the hope of meeting Juvia again. Nashi's hands in his hair jerked his head around in her excitement.

"Yes! Now, ice cream!" Her legs were kicking now and he had to fight to keep them still with his hands and he laughed softly.

"Okay, I hear ya, I hear ya."


End file.
